


Headache

by dkmcb01



Category: NCIS
Genre: Established Relationship, F/M, Slibbs, headache
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-07
Updated: 2019-11-07
Packaged: 2021-01-24 22:40:23
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,368
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21345925
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dkmcb01/pseuds/dkmcb01
Summary: This story was inspired by a stress headache I had last week.
Relationships: Jethro Gibbs/Jacqueline "Jack" Sloane
Comments: 12
Kudos: 95
Collections: NCIS/Slibbs





	Headache

**Author's Note:**

> This story was inspired by a stress headache I had last week.

Jack’s head was pounding. Well, that’s not exactly true … every now and then she felt a sharp stabbing pain in the side of her head that made one eye squint. She had even said “ouch!” several times in the last hour or so. It was something about a nerve in her neck - it was mad or annoyed or irritated. She didn’t blame it - she had slept on her neck wrong for over a week. And now she was paying the price. 

That’s why she was laying on the floor in her office, flat on her back, when Gibbs came in. He looked at her all squinty-like and asked,

“Are you alright, Jack?”

“You mean have I fallen and can’t get up? No. The nerve in my neck is irritated and it’s sending stabbing pain into my head - I think. Or I am having an aneurysm or something...I may die at any second - who really knows?” Jack replied dramatically resigned to the situation.

“Did you diagnose yourself using the internet again?” Gibbs asked as he sat down on her couch.

“Well...yeah. Doesn’t everyone? You know I don’t like doctors. They would probably want to x-ray my brain or something. Not going to happen. I can still move and work...kind of” she replied trying to hold still.

“I understand that. What do you need, Jack?” he asked

He reached to help her as she got off the floor as gracefully as she could considering she was wearing that black pencil skirt he loved so much.

“I don’t know what I need. How about you? What do you need? I mean can I help you with a case or something?” she asked as she sat down next to him.

Gibbs held out his cup of coffee to her. It was a symbolic gesture - of “maybe coffee can make it all better”. She was about to mention the lack of sugar when he pulled a couple of sugar packets out of his coat pocket. She smiled and then squinted one eye shut as a stabbing pain hit her again.

“Maybe Palmer could help you?” he said as he handed her a stir stick to go with the sugar.

“I guess it couldn’t hurt to talk to him. I’ll do that in a few minutes. I would rather sit here and hang out with you and this coffee for a bit.” she replied.

Gibbs thought for a moment. He reached into his coat pocket for his cellphone. Jack watched him warily. 

“Palmer, can you come up to Jack’s office?”

Jack rolled her eyes at Gibbs.

“Really, I’m fine. It’s nothing. I’m sure I won’t drop dead next to you on this couch.” Jack said.

“I have watched you do that squinty eye thing 4 or 5 times since I came in. Just let him look at ya, Jack,” he said.

“Fine. ok,” she mumbled as she took another sip of the coffee.

Gibbs reached for the coffee and took a sip then handed it back to her. She noticed that he didn’t grimace like he usually did - when he accidentally picked up her coffee instead.  
She smiled at him, allowing him to see her grin. 

There was a knock on the door and Palmer came in soon after.

“Gibbs, you wanted to see me?” Palmer asked looking at Jack then back to him.

“It’s me, Palmer. Gibbs wants you t-, I want you to ask you about this headache I have been having for a couple of days. Every now and then I get a stabbing pain in the side of my head - it goes away but comes back - it makes me squint my eye. Please tell me I’m not dying of something weird and untreatable.” Jack said.

“Sure. hmmm, let me look into your eyes… I mean let me check your eyes for any signs of ...huh… anything” Palmer said awkwardly.

Jack took her glasses off and handed them to Gibbs as she stood in front of the young Medical Examiner. Palmer took his penlight out and check Jack’s pupils for dilation. 

“I don’t see anything obvious. Have you hit your head recently?” Palmer asked.

“No...the...huh...internet said something about a nerve in my neck?” Jack replied tentatively.

“Self-Diagnosis via the internet is generally not a good thing...how far did you get before it mentioned aneurysm?” Palmer responded that gentle smile of his.

“Not far…” Jack acknowledged.

“Have you been under a lot of stress? Palmer asked.

Of course - it’s kind of what we do here.” Jack replied.

“You need to get more rest and cut back on the caffeine would help too. If it doesn’t go away in a couple of days - you should get it checked out.” Palmer suggested.

“I will do the best I can on that” Jack replied quietly.

Gibbs nodded to Palmer and he left.

Jack sat back down next to Gibbs - taking her coffee back. Gibbs just looked at her with that worried look on his face. He reached over and took her hand in his own. She smiled at him and welcomed his touch. 

“Maybe I should switch to half-caff?” Jack looked at Gibbs and shrugged.

“Maybe... you haven’t really been sleeping...:” he replied.

“My brain doesn’t always turn off and … the nightmares aren’t helping,” she said.

Gibbs leaned back on the couch and motioned for Jack to sit between his legs. She smiled and complied with his non-verbal request. He moved her hair out of the way and began massaging her neck and shoulders. She had to admit that she enjoyed his touch very much.

“Maybe you need a hobby?” 

“I already have a hobby,” she smirked knowingly.

“I mean besides me,” he laughed. “Why don’t you come down to the basement tonight for something other that what we have been doing … down there. Build something. Sand the boat. You’re down there anyway.”

“You think that will work?” she asked

“Couldn’t hurt,” he replied.

Jack leaned back against him as he wrapped his arms around her. Her safe space would always be in his arms. Truth be told, she was feeling overwhelmed these days and didn’t know what to do about it. Everything that was overwhelming her - had to be in her life - work, the cases, the late nights - there didn’t seem to be anything she could do but just push through it. She had to just keep going.

Gibbs' phone rang.

“Yeah, this is Gibbs. Be right down Kasie.” Gibbs spoke into his flip phone.

“Kasie wants to see us - something about the current case.” He said as put his hands on Jack’s waist to push her upright.

Jack nodded, cringed as a sharp pain shot through her head and rolled her eyes at Gibbs’ worried look as they left her office.

***

Jack left work early...her head still throbbing. She had trouble concentrating as she waited for the next stabby pain. She nodded at Gibbs as she walked to the elevator and stopped to send him a text message as the doors closed.

Gibbs phone beeped a few seconds later and he read,

“Head. ouch. Home.”

Now, he was more worried than before. His normally chatty Jack had been reduced to monosyllabic words. He wrapped up some of the paperwork he had been working on and picked up his jacket.

“Tim, you got this. I’m headed home.” He said to Tim as he walked toward the elevator.

***

He walked in the front door to find Jack sitting on the couch with her eyes closed.

“How are you really?” Gibbs asked as he sat down next to her.

“It’s better. I really think I need some sleep.” Jack sighed. “Wait...what time is it? Did you come home early because of me?”

“...because I was worried about you…” he said as he stood up taking off his jacket and shoes. 

Gibbs sat back down and wrapped a smiling Jack in his arms. He shifted and they stretched out. He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her closer to him.  
She relaxed in his arms and was soon asleep. Gibbs fell asleep soon after she did, thinking there was no other place he would rather be.


End file.
